Google undercuts Apple with 'how to switch from iOS to Android' guide

With Android 5.0 Lollipop, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 on the horizon, as well as some great Android devices already on the market, some of you may be thinking about ditching iOS for Android. It is unquestionably a big decision, so you may want to ensure that the switch from an iPhone or iPad will be as painless as possible.

To help with the switch, Google has prepared a nifty guide that explains how you can migrate your data from iOS to Android, tackling key areas such as multimedia content, contacts, email, messaging and, of course, apps. You may recall that Apple posted a similar guide last month, detailing to would-be customers the steps they need to take to move from Android handsets to iPhones. Google now looks to simply be returning the favour.

Called Get going on Android, the guide is naturally filled with references to Google apps and services. For instance, to get your iPad and iPhone pictures to an Android device, Google recommends using Google+ Photos (a feature baked into the Google+ app) on iOS to backup that content, so it is readily available through the app on Android as well.

Similarly, Google recommends importing your iCloud contacts into Gmail. Since its email service works great with Android, and is used to authenticate the user during the initial setup, it makes sense to introduce as few steps as possible in the migration process.

The guide provided by Google is comprehensive. The steps are very well detailed, and easy to follow. The information may even come in handy for power users, as there are some steps which are not exactly obvious. Google also recommends disabling iMessage, to avoid issues with receiving SMS and MMS messages on Android, after switching.